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Friday, 28 September 2012

We all make (expensive) mistakes.

It's September, big kid is back at school and small kid is a part timer. This means I have a couple of days next week where I will be kids free for at least 6 hours but this time will be spent with paintbrush in hand. The family room where the kids and I spend the best part of our lives needs a bit of TLC and it is my job to put it back to rights. With this in job in mind, this leads me on to this cautionary tale ....... A couple of years ago when I decided to give the family room a lick of paint and a "refresh" (loosely translated as lets paint over the handprints on the grubby walls) - I decided to replace our old, broken Wesco Kickmaster bin with another one. It was a nice looking bin in a nice inoffensive almond (cream) shade. I used to get compliments about this bin and I know it's a little bit sad and needy to resort to buying a specific bin just to keep the compliments coming but it does kind of go to your head, you know, having a cool bin.

picture : achica.com

Wesco bins are not cheap but I would say they are a modern design classic ... in a retro kind of way. The draw of the kickmaster to me is that you stamp on the foot pedal and the "doors" part in a red sea kind of way. Hugely entertaining for kids (probably why it broke) but not good for health and hygiene as they then like to peer inside for no good reason and breathe in the germs.Ours gave up the ghost after several years but I think I must have been premenstrual when I thought a blackberry (ribena purple) Wesco bin was the way to go. I can look back now - hindsight is wonderful I hear - but where were you when I was purchasing this blackberry coloured bin?

picture : johnlewis.com

Look how lovely and blackberry shiny this is - you'd buy it too wouldn't you?

What made me choose this colour in the first place? Somebody pointed out that I had a framed picture with purpley tones in it - nothing more, nothing less. But it was enough for me to think that a blackberry coloured bin was the way to go. Doh

The bin arrived. I set it up in its place. I stood back to admire. But no, there was no little smug smile this time and clappy hands to say "yeah, you did good girl!" for my design statement. The bin just looked glaringly, obviously wrong. It was shouting "look at me, I'm a big purple bin" whereas the old cream bin blended beautifully in to the cream walls. The Grumps came home and said "it's 'rude word' awful" and declared it also glaringly, obviously wrong too. Big bog.The bin had to go. It went back in its very big box and in to the garage and I muttered something about ebaying it back out. I went out the next day to Argos and bought a big functional cream bin which did the job it needed to do. For a fraction of the price. But no one compliments me on this bin.Firstly. Lesson learned.If it's not broke - don't try to fix it. Meaning the cream Wesco was brilliant. I should have just got another. Do not be swayed by other people's remarks and suggestions. Do not let them sow the seeds in your mind that you need a purple Wesco bin and not a classic not in your face cream Wesco bin. Because that would be a big mistake. And not is it just a big mistake - it's also a very big, expensive, glaringly obviously purple mistake. Secondly. For Sale.One lovely and highly desirable Blackberry 33L Kickmaster Wesco Bin. Currently retailing for oodles in John Lewis. All sensible offers considered but you have to cart it away yourself :o) Yes - 2 years later - it's still in the garage awaiting it's Ebay turn in the queue.

I just can't believe I didn't get another cream Wesco and be done with. I'm sure I must have consulted with the other half about the purple bin before hitting the pay button but I must have not been listening as usual. Ah well - we live and learn.

Very funny Sue, though I do understand your sadness. I got our new carpet the other week (which looked very cool on sale on one site), put it in our living room, and schriked out little bit by the view (very red carpet with black stripes on our beige other carpet), but decided to leave it for my boyfriend to comment (i think i was hoping he wouldn't notice). 'What is it? A house of retards?' was the first thing he said when he entered the house...and so the carpet is in the spare room for now, away from the view. Yeah, we all do expensive mistakes!

Too funny! I've been known to admire bins. Very odd habit but it can get rather addictive. Well, in a odd way :P I think I've made more mistakes with my shoes and clothes. Like thinking that light blue tweed is way cool and then felt completely stupid wearing the coat out. Or perhaps succumbing to everyone's pressure that the LV shoulder bag is "so you". Hated that bag and sold it at a loss. Ah yes...the mistakes we make. Hopefully, we've learned from them.

I have made many mistakes - decorating wise and they have been costly lessons. I got to the point where I'd painted our old kitchen about 5 times before I was happy - my friends joked that my kitchen had diminished in size due to the layers of paint on the walls. Clothes wise - yes - many mistakes. Even the cheap ones add up. Thank goodness for Ebay. But I've not done light blue tweed. The mere thought of it doesn't even tie in with your style?

You see I am just looking at the picture of that bin thinking how fabulous it is and how much I want one. However, I know that it no way would it ever suit my kitchen :-( OMG, have just clocked the colour my nails are painted at the moment. It's that exact same colour. Perhaps it's a sign I should in fact buy the bin.

Heather, I think it's a sign from the God of Bins who says you should totally have a bin to match your nails! It is a truly lovely bin - much nicer than my Argos cheapy bin. If the Argos one gives up the ghost I will be saving up for another cream Wesco, put it that way. All offers considered ;o)

I would actually take the bin off your hands if I was in my old apartment, current one has no space for bins except a behind the door thing under the sink which works out fine.. my regulation Brabantia (yawn) bin has been relegated to the bathroom, LOL. I don't mind the blackberry colour actually! But why don't you mask off some bits and spray paint it the colour you want? ;)

The blackberry colour is actually gorgeous - it just doesn't work in my kitchen. I think I was giving in to my girly side when I bought it ... or was I pregnant? The hormones have a lot to answer for when you're pregnant. I have a normal boring bin now ... sigh.

Actually, I might get the bin out and try it again. These berry tones are very in right now aren't they? It might actually work in 2012.